How to defeat an Archdemon
by Remiel1437
Summary: A story about a boy who cannot forgive the past, a girl who fights for the present, and a friend who worries about the future of those two
1. Reason

This time of year again huh? I mean, period is definitely my favorite. Spring, the season of forgiveness and second chance. It's the beginning of everything. Even Sakura also cheers for it.

"Welcome!" The cafe employers welcome people as the door bell chimes.

Don't you like this feeling? Watching people excited, scared, or even confused by new steps that they have to take? Behind this glass wall alone, accompanied by a glass of warm drink. It feels like I have the world to myself.

Unfortunately though, I have this anxious feeling in my heart. Something that does not let me enjoy my lemon tea.

"Where is that guy? I told him to come as soon as the ceremony ends." I talk to myself in order to make this anxiety fade. It certainly does not take effect.

"Welcome!" A bell rings, following a customer that slowly open the door.

The boy with brownish hair appeares. His signature white hat sits nicely over his head. I took a while for him to order a drink but it's okay. I can wait.

"Yo, Toshiyuki!" I let him know where I am.

"Yanagi, sorry for the wait." After a small jog, Toshiyuki sits beside me.

"It's fine. It's not like I'm in a rush or anything."

It is a lie. Big one. I want to lift this feeling from my heart as soon as possible.

"If you want to be my girlfriend you should give up. I only interested in human."

"Speak for yourself you hat wearing demon! Who wants to be your girl!"

It seems that I took a lot ot time thinking or maybe look fidgety for Toshiyuki to realize something is wrong. He doesn't look like a sensitive guy after all. However, I cannot help to be nervous. What I will ask him might open a big scar.

"So, what do we have here?" Toshiyuki fixes his hat, requests a purpose.

"Today it's not about me. It's about the Archdemon."

"Ow, now we're talking." Toshiyuki stares to the street as if he does not care about her.

"You know, I know Habara for years. I registered as her guardian for this region when I was a little girl. She was a beast that I had to control."

Toshiyuki sips his coffee, lets me proceed my story.

"Well, I hope she stays a beast." I can't help to sigh a little. "I don't have many people that I can call as a friend and in years, Habara transformed from a beast to my sister, my mother, and importantly, my dearest friend."

"I don't interested in your yuri fanfiction so I have to take my leave." Toshiyuki swiftly gets up.

A surge of power suddenly blows into me as I feel disrespected. I hit the table with all my might. A bang echoed inside the room. Everybody is looking at us but I don't care even a little. I can clearly witness shock in Toshiyuki's face through my glasses.

"I'm serious." I finally manage to mutter a few words despite of my anger.

"You know Yanagi, it's only a joke." Toshiyuki sits back to where he was.

"You may laugh at me following my words just now but it is the truth. I want to know things. I don't think you're that thick headed as you might but this Archdemon. This Archdemon is my bestfriend. Do you think I enjoy it when Habara cannot even speak when you are around? Do you think her tears when she saw your scar are fake?"

Toshiyuki freezes for a few seconds. God knows what this guy is thinking. His eyes covered by shades of his hat. He seems expressionless.

"I never think that I will engage a conversation like this especially with you." Toshiyuki put his left arm in front of his face. "So, what is the question?"

Adrenaline still occupies my body, letting my courage take control of my words. "What actually happens between Habara and you?"

"Well aren't we straightforward?" Toshiyuki chuckles a bit.

Before I protest, he starts his story.

"You told me before about the grand battle between Archdemon and fighters from many regions. Do you remember about that moment?"

"Yeah, how can I forget about that, it was Habara's turning point."

"Well, I actually disagree." Toshiyuki continues.

To be frank, his statement confuses me a lot. As a competitive person I am, my mind suggests me to argue with him. Well, who saved Habara from her Archdemon state other than us? However, I let my bloodlust aside and hold it for my friend.

"Do you mind? It's a little bit hot here." Toshiyuki points at his hat. I nod awkwardly.

Just after he lifts his hat, I realized something. The scar in his forehead is not bad. It's TERRIBLE. Is it that big and scary the last time I saw it?

"It's fine. You will get used to it after a few sights. It's okay to be surprised." Toshiyuki seems used to the stare people gave him everytime he removes his hat.

"Shall we continue?" Swallow my mixed feelings, I try to make the conversation stays alive.

"I'm not really sure about this but it will be a very safe guess if I assume that this happens after your battle with her. After the battle the Archdemon was not magically turned into a good girl. There was another event after the battle."

Pause. He pauses as if he considering to stop the story here.

"Do you know that me and Habara were in the same school?"

"You're joking." I cannot believe the detail this man spurts to me.

"Unfortunately, me and Habara were in the same elementary. Me, being a normal kid, did not stand too much because I liked it that way. Habara also, was a normal girl who almost invisible because she lack of involvement in pretty much everything."

"Huh? What was that? A normal girl?" The sudden info about that Habara's other image shocked me.

"Yes, you don't hear me wrong. She was a quiet and normal girl. At least in our thought." He continues.

"Long story short, I was running late home from school because of the culture festival preparation. I remember it like yesterday. There is a girl held by three guys that looked like high school students. The girl seemed really strong. You need two guys to hold her firm. The third guy was holding an iron pipe, walking before her while spewing nonsense."

Toshiyuki once again looks far at the street, seems to calm his soul before he continues to the grand part.

"You already know who the little girl was right?" Toshiyuki glances.

"It's Habara?" I answers doubtly.

"Well, of course it will be her right? Even if she was full of bruises all over her face and her long hair was a mess, I still recognized her as a classmate. It looks like she was beaten so bad for reasons that I didn't and don't know."

An electric shock seems lingering through my body as my mind opened.

"Is it because of us? Is it because we attack her together that she finally doubt her power and attack high school boys?"

I really want to throw up. I feel sick because for all the guilt that send a jab straight to my gut.

"You have to ask her yourself about that. There is no chance that I know and I want to know about that kind of thing." Toshiyuki continues to stare at me but it seems that his eyes soften for a little bit.

"Being a heroic child I was, I charged to the delinquents as I tried to free her. Habara was watching me in silence, kept on trying to release herself from the grip. The last moment that I saw from the fight was a metal pipe tried to kiss my forehead in a massive speed."

I put my hand infront of my mouth, flabbergasted.

"When I regain my sense, there were lots of blood. The metal pipe seems quite sharp, not perfectly round. My forehead felt like it cracked open." He touches his scar, as he depicts the painful memory.

"Then Habara carried you home just like that?" I ask in a quiet tone.

"Yes." Toshiyuki speaks slowly. "Or so I hope."

"Huh?"

"She never carry me or send any help. She just run. Silhouette of her back is the last thing that I saw before it was totally black out."

I cannot say even a single word at the moment. My lips disabled. My heart is pounding really hard and chills fall down my spine.

"She never visit me at the hospital too and when I recovered, she was gone. Transfered to another school."

"But you're his neighbour right?" I push my curiosity through.

"If you don't want to meet someone, you can even if he is your neighbour. I haven't seen her for years. It's just recently when we attend highschool, she shows up."

I hammered to my chair. I cannot argue with things like that. How can I?

"I guess that's all. I gotta run. Have things to do." Toshiyuki slowly stands, he turns his body as a jolt of strength that barely left inside kicks in.

"Wait." I shout.

Toshiyuki turned his face back at me again, still in that expressionless fashion.

"She looks different when she sees you. Is there a possibility that she..."

"Like me?" Toshiyuki cuts through my words faster than a bullet.

I look at him once again with a face that I cannot even imagine. Determination, hope, and despair, maybe all of those reflected in my face.

"She never likes me. Maybe I remind her of her days as the Archdemon. Maybe she feels satisfied when she sees me like this, scarred for life. I am her living work of art. Her last memento."

"But..." I try to find an excuse for my dear friend. I just can't.

"Do you think this is not enough as a reason to hate her?" Toshiyuki smiles a thin smile and leave.

"Thank you for the patronage!" The store clerk shouts as Toshiyuki passes through the door.

I stunned there for a long time. I try to find a distraction from the surprising fact that I just engaged but I can't. I mindlessly open my mailbox in my cellphone and I remember why I innitiate this meeting. It was a e-mail from Habara last night. An e-mail with "Don't laugh" as the subject.

" _Yanagi, I don't know who I should I share this secret with other than you. I just don't know but I've been thinking about Toshiyuki recently. He is everywhere. Am I in love with him? Nee, Yanagin. Do you think there is a chance that he likes me too?_ "

 _ **To be continued...**_


	2. My angelic demon

I look at the TV screen that fixed at the corner of the room. It is currently black all over the screen. It was too actually. I have been staring to the rectangular object for a good two hours. Everybody that look at me will maybe question if I don't have a better job to do, but no. Not if you woke up at 3 AM and cannot go back to sleep. Sometimes I think that human's body is really convenient. If the temperature is not fit, it warns you. When you need a person to lean on, it will make you search for somebody that you can hang on to automatically. If you need to think, it will wake you up early for precious extra hours to think.

It's not that I acknowledge it as a burden. I'll take it for Habara any day. Everytime I broke down, she will be the first person that I contact and she will listen. For hours if it has to. As long as I can help her, I will basically do everything. However, a short conversation with Toshiyuki yesterday dealt a killing blow to my dying hope.

"Do you think this is not enough as a reason to hate her?"

His last few words followed by his forced smile haunt me all day. Then again, who will answer the question with a big no? Little Toshiyuki's heart and body literally broken because of the incident.

"Why did you do this, Habara?" I massage my head gently, hoping that some ache in my head will go away.

Suddenly a loud noise emerges. It's my handy alarm clock. I slowly get up from my bed, follow a will to prepare myself for school. I stand up and flinch for a second, haven't realize for hours that my body hurts all over the place. School is quite a trip from my house. I have to get in a few trains and such but grow used to it. It always feels short if you have something to keep you busy and it my case, my trip today seems a few seconds long.

"Yanagin, oi." A cheerful voice calls my name as I enter the class room.

"Morning, Ikushima."

Ikushima is waving her hands high in the air. Ikushima is the group's mood maker. You know, a person who always stands up and say "Don't worry, it will be fine!" with full spirit in every dire circumstances. Sitting beside Ikushima is the main heroine for today. She shily waves at me, smiling.

"What's up girls?" I ask after sending a light jab to Ikushima's high five.

"Just talking about a movie last night, did you see..."

As usual, most of the morning conversation taken over by Ikushima. Meanwhile, I use my time to observe Habara thoroughly. She interrupts the conversation once in a while. Smile whenever Ikushima said something with excitement, even though I'm pretty sure that she doesn't understand 90% of it. She speaks in a slow pace and voice. Such a good listener too. Who will ever think that this sweet girl once a monstrosity that held "Archdemon" as a title?

The bell finally rings just before the teacher enter the classroom. After a short greeting, the class starts. It is very hard to focus on lesson when you have things to think of. Don't get me wrong. I'm not a bright person at the first place but at least following a lesson without some weight is far easier.

About the message, I actually haven't reply it. I would but I don't know what to say to her. Habara also acts as if she is oblivious about the message. Maybe, just maybe, it is a right thing to let it pass. Let the text message blur into imagination and let the time swipe it. It's not right however. I scribble on a paper and write "For Habara" at the surface of the folded paper. Habara received the paper after a short "take-and-forward" situation in the class. She certainly knows what is up as I can see a slight reddish color on her face. After a few seconds, she nods hesitantly.

Time seems longer if you wait for something to come. It seems ages since I stand up when the bell finally rang. Students with rush outside the class, hoping that their favorite food haven't sold out when they arrived. Me in the other hand, have a different focus for now. Taking a slow walk into the school backyard, I stomach a weird feeling. There are these burdens that I want to quickly remove but at the same time, my body is rather hesitant. Do I actually dare to speak the truth to Habara? There are also many things that I want to know. How can Habara think that Toshiyuki has an even slightest odd to love her? How can she do that in the past? Why does she love him of all people?

I stop myself at the sight that I witness. Under a big tree that is also our promised place, stands a girl. Staring at the ground and leaning to the tree, she kicks the ground lightly.

"Habara, you waited long?" I approach her.

Habara jumps as if electric jolt strucks when she realized that I arrived to the scenery. She hastily fixes her stance and give me her usual "wave-and-hi" greeting.

"Yanagin, what's up?"

I take the liberty to sit down right beside her. Soft green grass is a very good thing to sit on at this lovely day. After I gesture a light tap on grass beside me, Habara lower her knees and join me in my pedestal.

"So, why are we here?" Habara speaks softly but fails to cover a shaky tone in her voice.

"You know it better right? About the mail before the school ceremony."

Habara lost her cool when we started speaking but now it seems that she steamed. She dodges my eyes and I know that her mouth tried really hard to block thousands of words that she like to slap onto my face.

"Yes, about the mail." After a good one minute, she finally utters her first word.

I close my eyes and place both of my palms at the back of my head, try to act as cool as possible. I mean, It's easier to talk to a person that listens quietly right? However, words that supposedly come from Habara never came. Silence conquers the air faster than the sound. Time passes and I can hear a small squeak. I tried to peep a bit and there she is. Habara is still sitting beside me but now, she is crying. Tear streams across her face and small squeaks come from her as she tries to breath.

"Hey, why is it? I don't call you here to make you cry." I place my right hand on her shoulder.

"I... know it right after you... don't reply my mail." Habara tries to speak in her sob.

"I've... seen this situation at drama... You also like him and... cannot tell me right? That's why you not reply and... come here with that... cold attitude...right?"

Tear drops like no tomorrow at Habara. She starts to scream and her nose starts to run. Oh my. I realized something after I see her at this circumtance. I step forward and give her the warmest hug I can make.

"Oh, silly girl. How can you get that idea?" I try to comfort her as I can feel my shoulder drench.

"But... But... Toshiyuki is... the only guy that... you ever talk to... and I mean... you... I don't want to hurt you... Yanagin..."

I embrace her more, what a lovely and fragile girl I am holding right now. She is too frail for the cruel fact that hit me at the coffee shop. She is no longer an archdemon that can take all the punishment. Right now she is Habara, our little angel.

"Don't worry Habara. I'll find a way." I speak a silent whisper as she keeps on crying on my shoulder.


End file.
